Profile: Shimura Yuki
by secretPersonalities
Summary: Join Uchiha Itachi as he attempts to reach out to his brainwashed classmate Shimura Yuki. With a perfectionist guardian who despises the Uchiha clan, how will the relationship between the two develop, and where will it take them?
1. Age 5

_**SHINOBI FILES: Shimura Yuki**_

_**I did not care for the writing style of the original, so I decided to redo it with more details. **_

_**I may have created the character, but I do NOT own Naruto**_

* * *

Deep in the forest, the sun began to rise over a small village. At first glance, one would imagine that it was am ordinary community, nothing more. However, this hidden village was the location for the Land of Fire's shinobi warriors. Even the children were trained to defend their land against fearsome opponents and calamities.

Within the village were several clans with reputations reaching past the borders. One such clan was known as the Uchiha. Some called them the most powerful shinobi for generations; not only were they naturally skilled, but they had a biological weapon: the Sharingan. This jutsu was basically special eyesight. With this, the bearer could improve his vision as well as see chakra flow within the body. It also had the power to see through genjutsu. To this day, no one has discovered a weakness. This sort of power had been craved by many other clans, so of course the family had quite a few enemies.

* * *

"Itachi! Come down to breakfast!"

A young boy with dark, shoulder-length hair quickly double-checked to make sure he had all of his gear. '_I have to be sure that I am prepared'. _Onyx eyes looked over the room, making sure nothing would be left behind.

The voice called again. "Itachi! Hurry, or you'll be late!"

"Yes, I know, Mother! I'm coming!" Itachi slipped on his sandals, grabbed his bag, and headed to the kitchen.

When he entered, his mother turned from the sink and gave him a warm smile. As he ate, she could tell just by looking at him that he felt a hint of nervousness. A neatly wrapped bento was placed next to him. "You'll do fine, Itachi. It's normal to be a little nervous on the first day."

Itachi smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Mother. I'll see you later!"

* * *

Itachi hurried over to the academy. He wanted to get there early in order to avoid-

"_ITACHI-KUN!"_

-them. Yes, even at the age of 5, he had fangirls. He couldn't figure out why these girls kept chasing after him. They barely knew him! Some of them had seen him for the very first time at the opening ceremony! _What do these girls want? I don't have time for this!_ Quickly, he rounded the corner with a swarm of girls at his heels. However, when they came around, he was gone.

"Aw! He did it again! How does he do that?"

"But he's so cool, right? I mean he's so skilled he can disappear in an instant!"

All of the girls started giggling and swooning, but eventually they made their way to the building. Itachi figured he'd wait a little while longer in the tree.

"They're gone. You can come down now."

Itachi was shocked; not only had someone spotted him, but that someone was a girl! And she didn't squeal! He looked down. A girl his age was looking right at him with deep violet eyes. She had her black hair in a ponytail, and her bangs partially covered one eye.

The girl seemed irritated. "So are you coming for class or hiding like a coward all day?"

Heeding her command, he jumped down in front of her. He smiled, "Thanks for that."

The girl said nothing; she just kept staring at him. Itachi cocked his head a little. "What's wrong?"

Without reacting, the girl continued to look him in the eye. "Your shirt."

"Huh?"

"That symbol on your shirt."

Itachi glanced over his shoulder, observing the crest on his back. "Oh, that. That's the symbol for my family, the Uchiha. I'm Uchiha Itachi."

The expectation was for the girl to reveal her name in return, but she simply narrowed her eyes and brushed past him. All he could do was watch her stalk towards the classroom. '_Strange girl. I wonder what's wrong.'_

* * *

Once everyone assembled into the classroom, the sensei began by taking the roll call. Itachi was not completely paying attention; he was so curious about that girl. He noticed that she was not sitting with anyone, and her face was so serious. That's not normal for a 5-year-old girl. That's when he heard the teacher call out, "Shimura Yuki." The girl he was staring at stood up with her arms tight and called, "Here!" Itachi couldn't help but notice that she definitely resembled a shinobi reporting for duty. Oh, well. At least now he knew her name.

* * *

At the lunch break, Itachi surveyed the area, searching for his new target. When he found her, she was off to the side, leaning against the balcony railing. He walked over to her, offering a smile. "Hello, Yuki-chan."

Yuki turned and glared. "Don't call me that, Uchiha."

Itachi blinked. "Well, what should I call you?"

She turned back, avoiding eye contact. "I don't want you to call me at all. But, if you must, call me Shimura."

"Huh? Why should I call you by your last name? I like Yuki."

Yuki tensed at the name. "What did I just say?"

The boy wasn't sure what to do next; he wasn't even sure why she was angry in the first place. "Have I done something wrong? I didn't mean to-"

Yuki finally looked him dead in the eye. "I hate you!" she hissed.

With that, she grabbed her food and took off, leaving a very confused boy behind.

* * *

Not backing down, Itachi continued to observe Yuki. She just kept piquing his interest. The girl was certainly skilled; her demonstrations were perfect. He tried to compliment her, but she would just glare as soon as he approached. She took every activity in school seriously. The one thing she did not seem to care about was making friends. While the other girls would giggle and chat, Yuki would quietly study alone at her seat. She ignored the boys from the class, though Itachi overheard the boys saying how pretty she was. He'd have to admit they had a point. He was especially fond of those eyes of hers; violet may not be a normal eye color, but hers looked beautiful. Still, when he looked at her, Yuki's words kept repeating in his mind. '_I hate you!'_

As the days went on, Itachi still couldn't figure out why Yuki detested him. Actually, she seemed to detest everyone. One girl had tried to approach her. "Hey, Yuki-chan. I was just wondering. Where did you get that necklace? It's pretty!" The girl's hand reached for the pendant, but Yuki quickly seized her wrist. "Leave me alone." As the girl huffed and ran away, Itachi noticed Yuki clinging to the pendant. On closer inspection, it was just a circle with a crescent moon along one side while the rest was colored black. It didn't look valuable, so why did she protect it so much? '_That's odd.'_

* * *

Itachi decided to talk to his family about this situation. When he brought it up at home, his father glanced over his scroll. "Hm? Shimura, you say?"

Itachi looked up at him. "Father, do you know that family?" Mikoto looked at her husband, curious herself.

Uchiha Fugaku paused for a moment, then he shook his head. "I overheard someone mention that name. That's all I can recall."

Itachi skillfully hid his disappointment. At least, he thought he did. Nothing escapes the eyes of an Uchiha mother.

* * *

Yuki slowly walked over to the academy. She was still feeling drained after her uncle's training session. He constantly pushed her to be the best, and she gave her all. If she was not studying, she was training. Perfection was a must! But despite her efforts, there was always one shinobi who proved to be better… that stupid Uchiha.

The teachers always seemed to praise that Uchiha, calling him a prodigy. She was just as skilled as him, but he got all the attention!

'_What's so great about an Uchiha? All they've got is that dumb Sharingan! Without that, they're just like everyone else! I hate them all!'_

When she entered the classroom, she made her way to her seat, thankful for a little peace.

"_KYAAAAAA!"_

…or not. Yuki watched as the girls in the class swarmed to the window. One of the girls cried out, "Look! Some kid's sparring with Itachi-kun!"

"Wow! Just look at his moves! So cool!"

Yuki rolled her eyes. "So what?" she mumbled.

Apparently, one of the girls heard her. "What was that, Yuki-chan? Don't you think Itachi-kun's incredible?"

"No."

That word alone had the whole group gawking at her. Suddenly, everyone was talking at once. Yuki picked up a few words like "blind" and "weirdo" with some "Itachi-kun's" here and there. She sighed. "Look, I just don't get what the big deal is. He's just training like the rest of us."

Another girl in the back burst through the crowd and got into Yuki's face. "How dare you! Itachi-kun is going to be the greatest ninja in the world!"

Yuki's eyes narrowed. "I don't think so."

Because of her attitude, the girls started pretending Yuki was invisible. Not that she cared; she didn't have time for friends.

* * *

Soon the class began sparring sessions. Yuki was getting sick of sparring with the girls; none of them could give her a challenge.

"Sensei, why can't I spar with one of the boys?"

Of course, the male students started laughing; Yuki's eyes narrowed. Suddenly, a boy with messy brown hair raised his hand. "I'll do it, Sensei!"

Somehow, the match was accepted, though the sensei was a bit reluctant. The two met in the center, the boy grinning ear to ear. "So when I beat you, you have to be my girlfriend!" Yuki remained silent; she had nothing to worry about.

Sensei raised his hand. "Ready? Begin!"

With a shout, the boy charged at Yuki. However, she easily dodged him by stepping to the side. Stumbling, he turned to try again, only for the girl to move to the other side. He kept trying to attack, but she kept dodging with simple ease. Even pushing himself to pick of speed had no effect. With each failed attempt, along with each glance at the look of boredom on Yuki's face, his composure weakened.

'_I am NOT losing to a girl!' _

With all his might, he swung his fist. That's when she chose not to dodge; instead, Yuki grabbed his arm and flipped him over her head effortlessly. Her opponent landed flat on his back with an, "Oof!" Before he could get up again, Yuki pinned him to the ground, placing an arm across the front of his neck.

"Alright, the match goes to Yuki! Well done!"

Yuki removed her arm and calmly rose to her feet. "Weak," she muttered, only to infuriate the boy beneath her. She didn't seem to notice the young Uchiha carefully watching her with interest. '_She's good.'_

* * *

After class that day, Yuki began to make her way back home. Suddenly, she was surrounded in the courtyard by some of her male classmates. While most would tense at the sight of an ambush, she simply raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

One of them stepped in front of her. Yuki recognized that angry look in his eyes almost immediately. '_Oh, it's that guy I beat today_.'

"I don't know what you're trying to prove, but I just want to let you know I _let_ you win! You're a girl, so that means you can't fight! You should go back to the sidelines where you belong!"

Though she remained indifferent on the outside, his words were causing her to fume from within. _Oh, he did NOT just day that!_ Just as she was about to give him a piece of her mind, someone beat her to it. "You know you're only saying that because you're jealous."

All of the boys were startled to see Itachi standing behind them. He had seen the ambush, and he could not stand idly by and ignore this shameful behavior. He stepped forward. "If you're that upset that she beat you, that just means you need more training."

No one talked back. There was no way they could fight an Uchiha. So, they glared at the two and ran off. '_Cowards_.'

Itachi turned to Yuki with a gentle smile. "Are you-"

His smile immediately vanished as Yuki released her rage on him! "What did you do that for?! I am more than capable of taking care of myself! I don't need you to save me, Uchiha!"

Itachi stood frozen in place as Yuki ran away.


	2. Age 6

After that incident, Yuki made it painfully clear that she wanted nothing to do with her Uchiha classmate. Itachi had tried to reach out to her, but it was no use. His attempts at apologizing or showing her any sort of kindness were always shot down. He certainly wasn't used to being despised so openly, and he had no idea what he had done to her in the first place. It was frustrating! He found that even in his own home, his distressed thoughts of Yuki would return. As a result, his mother began to take notice.

* * *

One day, while Mikoto was out doing her grocery shopping, she noticed a small figure on the ground in the alley. Fearing the worst, she made her way toward it. On closer inspection, the figure was but a child! A young girl with dark hair was sitting on the ground with her head buried behind her arms upon her knees that were brought up to her chest. She shed no tears, yet she sat in silence.

Mikoto's bleeding heart longed to help her; she gently reached out and placed her hand on the girl's arm. The child jumped at her touch; with the reflexes of a ninja, she moved to a ready position. She was barely on her feet with her knees bent, as if she were ready to pounce, and her violet eyes peered threateningly at her. Like a frightened, cornered animal. The woman understood her fear, so she offered a reassuring smile.

Yuki could not believe what was going on. A strange woman had randomly approached her, so she logically should have proceeded with caution. But as she observed her kind eyes and smile, she felt her guard lowering. '_What a beautiful lady.'_ Visions of her past began to appear, triggered by the familiar sight of a warm smile. How long had it been since someone smiled so lovingly at her like that? Realizing the path her thoughts were taking, Yuki quickly banished them. She barely registered that the woman was talking to her.

"You seem to need some cheering up. How about some tea and dango?"

Yuki was at odds with herself. She _did_ like the idea, but that was a childish notion. Besides, did she really find it wise to leave with a stranger, despite how kind-hearted she appeared? She bit her lower lip. Suddenly, the woman had grabbed her arm, and she found herself being led out of the alley.

* * *

Warm steam reached the girl's nose as she held up a cup of tea. Carefully, Yuki peered at the woman sitting across from her, who was currently smiling with content as she drank her own tea. Slowly, she took a sip; it_ was_ rather calming. Her gaze moved to the plate of dango.

"Go ahead," the woman chuckled. "Dig in."

Without her consent, her hand moved to grab one of the treats. Her mind was screaming that she was insane! She was willingly sitting in a shop with a complete stranger; what would her uncle say? Yet she found herself enjoying the company. It was almost like she had a mother again…

"So did you want to talk about what's troubling you?"

The girl broke from her thoughts and looked at the woman. However, she forced herself to look away. "I don't know you. Why should I tell you anything?"

Instead of getting offended, the woman simply nodded. "That's true. It's good that you know better than to freely talk to a stranger. But still, you are upset. I promise I won't judge you; I'll just listen."

Yuki found herself biting her lip again. This woman was so strange, yet she sensed no danger from her. As far as she could tell, she was being completely honest. And Yuki prided herself in her ability to sense a liar.

She took a deep breath as she tried to find a way to say what she felt without revealing too much. "It's… my uncle. He's been training me. I always push myself beyond my limits, but… it's never enough. All I want is for him to approve of my skills, to make him proud to call me his niece. But it seems I'll never reach that goal. Especially after today."

That day's training session had ended in disaster. When her uncle had heard that she was not the top of the class, he was disappointed. Then when he heard the top of the class was an Uchiha, he was furious! He made sure to intensify her training, but no matter how hard she tried, he kept a disapproving frown on his face the entire time. Eventually she collapsed, reaching the point of pure exhaustion. Her attendant had insisted on ending the session. As she sat on her hands and knees, trying to control her breathing and push herself back up, she froze when she heard her uncle mutter a single word.

"_Pitiful."_

Yuki instinctively fought back the sting in her eyes. She would NOT cry. Crying was for the weak!

Gentle onyx eyes remained on the small figure. Her frustration was quite understandable; everyone wanted to be appreciated by at least one person. Still, there were questions on the tip of her tongue.

"So your uncle detests the Uchiha? And he's training you to do the same?"

Yuki tensed and shut her eyes, protesting, "It's not training! I _do_ hate them!"

"Why is that? Have they wronged you in any way?"

With a start, Yuki slowly put down her food and stared at the table. She had no answer for that question. Why _did_ she hate the Uchiha? When did it all start? She thought about her classmate. It wasn't like he was an evil person or anything; he was skilled, and it made her ashamed that she could not match him. But was there anything personal? Or was her hate aimed at his surname alone?

The woman gave a somewhat sad smile. "I know there are some who can be a bit arrogant at times. The Sharingan is quite powerful, and that sort of power can go straight to a man's head. Still, not all Uchiha are like that. Why don't you try to open up a bit? There's no need to judge a person because of their name. It's best to understand them before you decide what sort of person they are."

Yuki's eyes widened as she took the woman's words to heart. Was she too quick to judge her Uchiha classmate? Had he ever gloated about his abilities, like she assumed an Uchiha would? Did he ever show her ill will?

Yuki again squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shake off the doubts that were piling up in her mind. "And how would you know about all this? How could you possibly know what all Uchiha are like?"

Suddenly, she felt the warmth of a hand on her shoulder. The woman had stood and moved to her side, once again smiling at her. "I know because… I am Uchiha Mikoto."

Yuki's eyes snapped open as her blood suddenly ran cold. This woman… this kind, loving woman… was an Uchiha? She was nothing like what her uncle described! The doubts in her uncle's words formed in her mind. What other lies had he been feeding her? Or is this Mikoto the only exception?

Mikoto spotted the confusion in her eyes. "Like I said. It's best to understand someone before judging them." She reached into her bag and pulled out the necessary payment for the food. "I must be off. It was very nice talking to you, Yuki-chan."

The girl gasped, "Wait! How do you know my name?"

A giggle escaped Mikoto's lips. "Oh, my son, Itachi, speaks quite fondly of you. Your lovely violet eyes were also a dead give away."

With that, she left, leaving a stunned Yuki sitting alone.

* * *

Yuki carefully pondered those words that night. Should she try to give the Uchiha a chance? Obviously, Mikoto-san was nothing like the Uchiha picture her uncle had described. She had always been told that Uchihas treated everyone like dirt, beliving they were the superior clan in every way. Her great-uncle dreamt of changing that image and bringing the Uchiha to their knees; he entrusted this dream to her. However, did she really want that? She decided to ask her attendant.

"Takuji."

Said man emerged from the shadows. "Yes, my lady."

Yuki knew of this man's loyalty. He had practically raised her when her great-uncle took her in. Takuji was the closest thing she had to a caring family, so she placed her full trust in him.

"I would like you to be honest with me. Have you ever met an Uchiha?"

"Why would my lady ask such a thing?"

"Please just answer my question."

Takuji saw the pleading in his mistress' eyes; he could tell she was confused and pained by something. He was well aware of what the master had been teaching this girl, but he was not permitted to intervene. Would it really be wise to give his honest opinion?

Violet eyes pleaded with him. There was no chance of refusing now. Takuji sighed with a bitter smile. "Please understand that it is not my place to say much on the matter. I can tell you that I have never personally interacted with Uchiha since I reside in the Shimura manor. However, we have to remember that they are the trusted police force, and are highly respected in the village."

Yuki sighed in frustration. "That does not answer my question."

Takuji tilted his head. "Could it be that you have interacted with some Uchihas recently?"

His answer was received as she looked at him with shock. She clenched her fists and tried to avoid his gaze. "…Please… do not say anything to my uncle."

Bowing respectfully, Takuji returned to his post. Despite his duty, he wished he could help ease the child's distress.

* * *

In her mind, Yuki had been prepared to take this advice and put it into action. However, she soon realized that change could not come so easily. No matter how hard she tried, she could not deny the competitive anger building within her as the Uchiha continued to outdo her. What made it worse was that he was a so-called "prodigy," meaning that he was naturally gifted and barely had to try, whereas she put her heart and soul into her training and never met her great-uncle's expectations.

One day, when classes at the academy had ended, Yuki noticed the male students having a sparring session. She neared the fence where the girls in her class were gathered. Of course, they were swooning. Yuki, however, carefully observed and mentally critiqued the fighters' methods. As her eyes moved over the field, she noticed one boy sitting alone by a tree. It was the Uchiha! She could only deduce that none of the boys thought they stood a chance, so he was left without a sparring partner. An idea appeared in her mind as she ran over there.

"What do you think you're doing, Uchiha?!"

The boy was stunned to see Yuki towering over him. "Shimura-san…"

"You must think you're _so_ skilled that you don't need practice! Well, I refuse to let that slide! If you think you're man enough, why not take me on?!"

Just about everyone on the field stopped what they were doing. Had they heard right? Someone had actually challenged Uchiha Itachi? And it was the Shimura girl? She had never openly challenged anyone before!

Onyx eyes wide in disbelief suddenly showed a hint of realization. Yuki was, in her own way, inviting him to spar? Secretly, Itachi smiled to himself before getting on his feet.

"Alright, Shimura-san. I'll accept your challenge."

The students swarmed around them as Yuki and Itachi got into position. This was a fight they had to see!  
Suspense filled the air as the audience tried to anticipate who would make the first move. Suddenly, both students charged! Yuki was the first to aim a kick at the side of the Uchiha's head, which he blocked with his arm. He pushed her leg away and charged, but she whirled around and blocked his punch. He swung with other arm at her torso, and she retaliated by dropping down and swiping her leg at his feet. She kept moving as Itachi leaps back and dodges her leg. Soon they were exchanging strikes and blocking each one. Their speed was incredible, and it almost appeared as though they were equals! As Itachi maneuvered to avoid a roundhouse kick, he could have sworn he saw a smile on the girl's face.

In a moment, everything changed. Itachi noticed something different in Yuki's eyes, as if she had noticed something. Suddenly, her attacks became angry and almost desperate, causing her to lose her composure. She was no longer enjoying it; it was a serious battle in her eyes. With clouded judgment, she failed to properly block his kick, sending her back to the ground. Itachi was certainly surprised, but before he could apologize, Yuki got up and ran off, keeping her eyes hidden.


	3. Age 7

That graduation ceremony was indeed special. Two of the graduates were only 7 years old! Usually people did not graduate until they were about 12. Yes, this class included the Uchiha prodigy and the honorable Shimura child. Somehow, the instructors had believed that the two worked well together, so they were placed on a team with a boy named Hayashi Akira. Of course, he was not sure how he felt about teaming up with children, but he had witness their abilities and trusted they could do well. Yuki, however, had a different opinion.

Training had not exactly gone without a hitch. Akira and Itachi soon discovered that Yuki was completely stubborn, insisting that she could do everything herself. Akira learned the hard way that chivalry was not the way to befriend the heiress. As soon as she sensed him hold back during training, she boosted her efforts and nearly pummeled him! The other problem was that she never seemed to stop. When their sensei had left them, Itachi tried to approach her as she kept striking a post.

"Shimura-san. We've been training for a while now. Why not take a break and rest a bit?"

The girl simply scoffed. "Take a break if you want. I'm not that weak!" Itachi mentally sighed. Apparently, she was still upset about Akira's actions. Deciding the only thing he could do was let it pass, he returned to the rest of the team. Akira nudged him with his elbow. "Has Yuki-chan always been like this?"

Itachi nodded. "Shimura-san is entirely dedicated to being a shinobi. She can't exactly help it."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind my asking, why do you always call her 'Shimura-san'? Aren't you classmates?"

The boy remained quiet for a moment. As he started to walk away, he quietly said, "It's because she asked me to."

* * *

Yuki sighed in relief as she was finally left alone. Her teammates' concern for her was pointless; this was her destiny. She had to become the very best to bring honor to her family. Quitting was not an option. She continued her training with some target practice, followed by a sparring session with a shadow clone of herself.

As Yuki focused on her training, she failed to notice that some kunoichi were watching her, jealous of her success though she was much younger as well as her "relationship" with Uchiha Itachi. They could not allow a _child_ to outdo them! In order to show her who was boss, they decided to jump her.

Yuki senses an approaching attack, but when she prepared to fight, she suddenly felt a familiar heaviness in her limbs. _No! Not now!_ She does her best to fend off their attacks, but they had her outnumbered and she had used most of her chakra while training. With her deafened senses, one of the girls managed to knock her to the ground. Half conscious, Yuki could only watch while the girls tied her up. When she could no longer hold open her eyelids, she barely registered her body being lifted and moved to a different location. While she was unconscious, the leader of the group decided to remove Yuki's necklace, just to show how helpless the child really was.

* * *

'_She must still be training,'_ Itachi thought with a sigh. The sun was beginning to set, but he suspected Yuki was exactly where they had left her in the training grounds. He could swear that girl was going to run herself into the ground. Still, he couldn't help but admire her dedication, no matter how over-the-top it was. A ghost of a smile appeared on his features. Once she got started, he knew nothing would stop her.

He broke from his thoughts as he noticed a cluster of genin kunoichi walk past him, each waving and trying to be flirtatious. One of them was bold enough to greet him. "Hiii, Itachi-kuuun."

The Uchiha wasn't paying attention to her words or "flirtatious" tone; rather, his focus was on the object around her neck. As it glimmered, he noticed the familiar crescent moon.

'_That pendant… isn't that Yuki's?'_ Itachi recalled an incident back in the academy: Yuki had a girl in a death-grip because she reached out to touch her necklace. Come to think of it, there was never a day when she was without it. So why did that girl have it?

"Excuse me. If I may be so bold as to ask-"

"Oh, yes, Itachi-kun!"

"… I haven't asked anything yet."

"No matter what it is, the answer is yes!"

The prankster within him was tempted to ask her questions where "yes" would not be the best answer, like "Are you stupid?" or "Do you eat puppies?" But there were more important matters at hand.

"Where did you get that necklace?"

The girl held her cheeks with her hands in an obvious swoon. "Do you like it, Itachi-kun?"

"Yes. I do. It is the one that belongs to my teammate after all."

This made the girl freeze. Did he know? She tried to brush it off. "Maybe we went to the same shop. It's not-"

"My teammate is missing, and I would like to know where she is. If you had any idea about her whereabouts, you would tell me, correct?"

The girls quivered under the weight of the infamous Uchiha glare. They were positive the prodigy was on to them, and they did not want to be on his bad side.

"B-but why care about a freak like her, Itachi-kun? All she cares about is her training. She's not worth it!"

Her last statement only intensified the glare. Apparently insulting the Shimura girl was taboo. She raised her hands in protection. "Okay, okay, so I took it from her! But she deserved it, being all high-and-mighty when she's just a spoiled brat!"

Not quite agreeing with her notion, Itachi kept up his glare. "Where is she now?"

The girl folded her arms and turned away, intending to keep her mouth shut. But another girl, scared out of her wits, piped up. "She's in the forest! That's where we last saw her!"

Itachi nodded to the girl, softening his gaze a bit. "Arigatou." He turned back to the first kunoichi and held out his hand. "I'll be having that necklace back, now."

Reluctantly, the girl unclasped the chain and handed it to the Uchiha. "Who'd want this cheap trinket, anyway?" she muttered.

As soon as the pendant was in his grasp, he took off towards the forest in the training grounds. They may not have specified which forest, but he knew Yuki, and she was most likely cornered in the midst of her training. _'But why didn't she defend herself?'_

* * *

Almost franticly, he made it to the spot where he had left her before. He looked around, trying to find any sort of clues of her whereabouts. Suddenly he sensed it; it was faint, but there was definitely a chakra signature nearby. There was the possibility it was not Yuki's, but Itachi would not take any chances. He had a hunch, and it was telling him she needed help.

He had to keep his focus as he tracked down the chakra signature. It was so weak; could it really be Yuki? Suddenly he skidded to a halt; he got his answer.

There she was, lying on the ground, bound by the ankles and wrists, gagged, and unconscious. The sight angered him, but he focused his attention on the task at hand. Slipping a kunai from his pouch, he went to work cutting the ropes. Gently, he removed the gag, allowing her to breathe more easily. However, she was covered in sweat, and her breathing had barely improved. Without a moment's hesitation, he maneuvered so she was placed on his back. Once she was secure, he rushed toward the hospital.

* * *

Upon arrival, Itachi burst through the doors, calling the attention of the nurse on duty. The Uchiha noted what seemed to be recognition in her eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, she paged for assistance and led the boy to an available room. Once they had placed her in a bed, the doctor rushed in with another nurse. The doctor sighed at their sight of her. "So the Shimura child was at it again?"

One of the nurses looked up at him. "You know this has to be the third time this month. Is her uncle aware of this?"

He shook his head, "Somehow, I doubt it."

Itachi allowed their words to sink in before they could remember his presence and send him away. Judging by what was unfolding before him, this was not the first time she had collapsed like this. He could not miss the signs of sympathy that appeared in the medical staff's eyes. Suddenly, he felt guilty for never noticing her situation and was now determined to find out what would drive her to constantly do this to herself.

Itachi decided that he would stay at the hospital until Yuki woke up. After requesting the nurse to send a message to his family, he made himself comfortable on a chair in her room. He watched over her sleeping form, feeling a growing urge to protect her. Why was it that he cared so much? She obviously had no interest in knowing him, let alone befriending him. What was it about her that drew him to her? He ran his hand through his hair as he tried to organize his thoughts. Maybe… maybe he was secretly relieved by her attitude towards him. Yuki did not praise him as the other villagers did; she treated him as if he were a regular shinobi. It felt… nice.

He broke from his thoughts as Yuki began to stir. Violet eyes slowly opened, and confusion spread across her features as she took in her surroundings. "Where am I?"

"At the hospital."

Her eyes snapped over to Itachi's location. At the sight of him, her eyes narrowed, and she immediately pushed herself up to a seated position. Itachi was at her bedside in a heartbeat. "Give it a minute, please. You were unconscious and feverish due to intense chakra depletion. It's best if you-"

"I know that, Uchiha! I don't need your help!"

Her biting remark stunned him, causing him to flinch. His hands lowered to his side as his eyes met hers. "That's true. I suppose you do know, seeing as you put yourself in this situation so often."

Now it was Yuki's turn to flinch. Itachi noted that her hands flew to just below her neck, but she seemed surprised to find nothing there. She quickly turned away from him: "That's none of your business!"

"Of course it is. We are teammates, now, and we should look out for each other's welfare-"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!"

Itachi stared at the girl who refused to look at him. What had he done to make her hate him so much? Her figure began to tremble with what he assumed to be rage. His eyes slowly met the ground.

"Alright then. I'll make my leave."

Yuki watched the Uchiha's retreated back from the corner of her eye. Abruptly, he stopped and turned around. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and placed something in her palm. He was gone before she could demand an explanation.

Curious, Yuki gazed at the object in her hand. She gasped at the sight: she was staring at her mother's necklace! When she had discovered that is was no longer attached to her neck, she had felt an enormous wave of despair. That necklace served as her strength, reminding her of her parents. Without it, she would have been lost.

Yuki's hands began to tremble as she contemplated what had happened. '_He noticed I was gone, and he got my necklace back. Yet, all I did was yell at him. Why have… Why have I been so cold to him? What did he do to deserve it?'_ She recalled Mikoto's words to her: _"There's no need to judge a person because of their name. It's best to understand them before you decide what sort of person they are."_

Guilt began to wash over her as she realized her horrible mistake. She had to stop him; she absolutely had to make things right!

* * *

Itachi slowly shuffled away from the hospital doors. So that was it; no matter what he did for her, she would always hate him. However, he decided that he didn't need her gratitude. As his teammate, he would look out for her, despite how much she would protest.

With his mindset, he barely registered that Yuki had jumped from her window and landed gracefully in front of him. However, she kept her eyes hidden from his sight. He could tell she was trembling. What was it now?

"Shimura-san? What is the matter?"

Yuki remained silent, through her body continued to shake. Itachi assumed she must still be angry and had more to say, but he didn't think that was best for her health.

"Shimura-san. You should be in bed. I promise I'll leave and-"

"I'M SORRY!"

Itachi froze as Yuki finally managed to speak. However, what she had screamed was the last thing he had expected. Suddenly she looked up at him, silver tears trailing down her face. In his shocked state, he couldn't react as she suddenly lunged forward and embraced him! His eyes widened as she sobbed near his ear. "Thank you… Itachi."

'_She said my name… Finally.'_ Onyx eyes softened, and his arms carefully moved to return the embrace. And he held her there, waiting for her to calm herself. When he felt her sobs dying down, he whispered, "You really should be in bed. Come on."

Before she could protest, Itachi had lifted her and leapt to her open window. Yuki's body was limp as he lowered her onto her bed. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and as soon as he was sure she was unconscious, Itachi whispered, "You're welcome…Yuki."

* * *

The next morning, Itachi found himself getting up a bit earlier than usual. He stealthily reached the bottom of the stairs and went straight to the kitchen, knowing his mother was the only one awake. She was surprised when he asked her to make two bentos for him, but she gave him a knowing smile, as if she already knew his intentions.

Once they were finished, Itachi hurried away before his father or little brother could interrogate him. He wanted to get to the hospital quickly; he had a feeling Yuki might do something reckless if someone did not keep an eye on her. It was strange; the moment Yuki had said his name, his heart felt a bit lighter. Now he found himself excited to see her, though there was a great possibility she would return to her normal self.

He reached the hospital in no time at all. Deciding that jumping through the window would probably be unwise this time, he used the front door. Nodding at the nurse sitting at the entrance, he made his way to Yuki's room.

"You were found unconscious in the forest?!"

Itachi quickly ducked out of sight as he heard a man's shout coming from inside Yuki's room. Carefully, he tried to spy on them through the door, which was barely cracked open. The older man stood before her bed with two emotionless attendants.

"Really, if you had any ninja skill, you could have easily fended off your attackers! You pathetic child, you bring disgrace upon the Shimura name! Have I wasted all these years of training you to be the best shinobi Konoha has to offer? You can't even fend off a group of young kunoichi! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"… I apologize, Uncle. I have failed you again."

The man scoffed as he walked to the window. Without looking at his great-niece, he asked, "And who was this rescuer? In order to save our reputation, I must thank him properly."

"… My teammate. Uchiha Itachi."

Her uncle did not move from his spot; he continued to stare out the window. Yuki began to shift uncomfortably, waiting for his rage that was sure to come.

"So. You are saying that once again, you were bested by that Uchiha prodigy?"

Yuki could only stare at her lap in shame. "Yes."

With a low growl, he forcefully turned to the door and was about to walk out. Itachi knew it would be best to hide, so he slipped into the nearest room, which was thankfully empty. He heard the Shimura leader's departing words. "Perhaps I have been too merciful. Once you are permitted to leave, we shall take your training to the next level."

'"_Next level?" She just pushed herself far beyond her limit! And he wants her to work harder? Is he trying to kill her?!' _Itachi's concern could only grow as he heard a timid response.

"Yes, Uncle."


	4. Age7 part 2

_"Really, if you had any ninja skill, you could have easily fended off your attackers! You pathetic child, you bring disgrace upon the Shimura name! Have I wasted all these years of training you to be the best shinobi Konoha has to offer? You can't even fend off a group of young kunoichi! What do you have to say for yourself?"_

_"So. You are saying that once again, you were bested by that Uchiha prodigy?"_

_"Perhaps I have been too merciful. Once you are permitted to leave, we shall take your training to the next level."_

* * *

"Father, do you know the head of the Shimura clan?"

Itachi had decided to look into the mystery of Yuki's past. The first thing to do was learn more about the man who had scolded her in the hospital. Without a doubt, he had to be the head of the clan. Having recalled his father's reaction upon mentioning the Shimura, Itachi had a strong feeling his father was more informed than he let on. So, he boldly entered his father's study in order to talk in private.

Fugaku Uchiha carefully glanced at his eldest son. "What's this? Why ask me about the Shimura head?"

Itachi kept his shoulders back and made sure to look his father in the eye. "Father, I believe that my teammate, Shimura Yuki, might be in a tight spot with her family. Please, I must learn about the head of the Shimura clan."

"This is none of your concern, Itachi. It is not wise to interfere with another family's affairs. I'm sure everything will be resolved in time."

"I don't think that's true, Father." Itachi fought to keep up his confident composure. His father would never accept groveling or begging; if the heir to the Uchiha clan were to do that, Fugaku might die of shame.

"Father, I saw someone in Yuki's room. He was scolding her, as if the incident was entirely her fault. Nothing would have gone wrong if she was not pushing herself so hard in the first place. I believe someone in the family is filling her head with ideas of needing strength to survive and hating the Uchiha."

Fugaku remained silent; internally, he was proud of his son for his persistent determination. However, he truly did not want to involve his family with the Shimura affairs.

"… so it is as I feared."

Itachi was shocked at his father's words; that single sentence proved that his hunch had been correct. "Father?"

Fugaku gave his son a hard look. "I will tell you what I know, but you must swear to me that you will do nothing unnecessary. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai," Itachi agreed. Though, he knew he would decide what was necessary and what was not.

Apparently satisfied, Fugaku motioned for his son to take a seat. Itachi moved to sit directly in front of his father; he would be sure his father remained truthful if his face remained in view. Then, the head Uchiha began.

"I have heard many things about the Shimura clan, including the head, Shimura Danzo. He is a man of power within this village; he heads a branch of the ANBU, serves as an elder of the village, and he once rivaled the abilities of the Third Hokage. Even wants to become Hokage himself."

Itachi allowed the information to sink in as he patiently listened to his father's story. Apparently, the Shimura clan leader was quite powerful. No wonder Yuki had such high standards for ninja.

"The man's jealousy runs strong. He resented the Third, believing he was the only one who could properly lead the village. He's also envied the Uchiha clan because he finds our Sharingan to be quite useful, but he can never achieve it without Uchiha blood in his veins. Thus, he resents the clan. Most likely, he has imprinted his views on the Shimura members." Fugaku gave Itachi a knowing look, and his son nodded. He understood what his father was implying.

"There had been a rumor long ago that he had banished his nephew for dishonoring him. About five years ago, he got word that he and his wife had been killed, leaving a child behind. Danzo took it upon himself to bring the child into his home and raise it as the next heir, since he had no children of his own. Rumor has it he has been training the child to the bone ever since, sculpting a perfect heir to surpass the Uchiha's heir."

Itachi had a feeling he knew where this was going, though he did not want to accept it. "So… Shimura-san is… the heiress of her clan?"

Fugaku sighed. "That seems to be the case. Judging by your surprise, I assume she has never spoken of it."

"No. She never mentions her family. I had no idea." Itachi glared at his lap as his fists clenched. "So she's being pressured to surpass me. Of course she resents me. I am the reason she's going through this torture."

"There will be none of that, Itachi," Fugaku stated as he shook his head. "You have done nothing wrong. The only way to appease that man would be the complete disappearance of the Uchiha clan. If anyone is to blame for your friend's troubles, it is Danzo, not you."

* * *

Itachi kept his father's reassurance in mind as he joined his team for training the next day. Logically, he was right; he had done nothing to intentionally harm Yuki, so there was no sense in feeling guilty. He knew it, yet whenever he watched Yuki practice, sympathy and guilt would wash over him. Now that he knew everything that she went through on a regular basis, he felt ashamed that there was nothing he could do to help her. He had vowed not to get mixed up in another family's matters, so he couldn't approach Danzo directly. All he could do was support her as his teammate.

Of course, Yuki's keen eyes could not miss the way the Uchiha kept looking at her. Did it have to do with what she said? She regretted that night often; in a moment of weakness, she broke down in front of him. To add insult to injury, she had embraced him and called him by name. _'It's quite possible he's got the wrong idea now,'_ she thought bitterly. This would have to get resolved, and the sooner, the better!

* * *

Before long, training was over for the day. As soon as Sensei and Akira had left them, Yuki grabbed Itachi's arm before he could escape. "Come with me!"

Before he could protest, Itachi found himself being dragged further into the training grounds, finding refuge in the trees. Once they had reached a safe distance, Yuki released his arm and whirled around with anger etched in her face.

"Is there some reason you've been staring at me all day?!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

Yuki then proceeded to place her hands on her hips. "Don't give me that! Ever since training started, you keep staring at me with this strange look on your face!"

Itachi remained silent. Honestly, he had no idea he had been staring in the first place. He snapped out of his thoughts when Yuki sighed. "Is this about the other night? Look, I'm not going to become one of your rabid fangirls or anything, so you don't have to worry. As if I'd ever fall for an Uchiha!"

Itachi blinked. "Umm… Shimura-san, I think you're mistaken. I never thought that way."

The young Uchiha never thought he'd witness something as rare as Shimura Yuki's blush. Yet it appeared, bright red covering her cheeks. "W-well, fine. Then why?"

"… I was wondering… well, I…"

"Yes?"

"… I was wondering why that necklace was so important to you."

Yuki stared at him with wide eyes. That was not what he had wanted to say, and he somewhat regretted saying it. Now he had to brace himself for her outburst.

"… Okay. To show my gratitude for getting it back for me, I'll tell you."

Itachi had not expected that response. She was willing to share something about her past with him? It was unbelievable!

Yuki began to fiddle with the necklace in question. "This pendant is actually a gift from my mother. See the symbol of the crescent moon? That's my mother's family crest."

"Your mother?"

Yuki slowly turned away from him. "Yes. You see, my mother came from a clan in the Village Hidden in the Mist. Of course, some of the clan members had fled when the village was corrupted, so they became wanderers. They helped my father's team when one man was wounded. That's how my parents met."

Itachi was truly interested in her story, but he was curious why she was telling him so much. He decided it was for the best not to bring it up. Instead, he patiently listened as the girl wandered over to a tree and leaned on it. "In time, they were wed. Of course, my uncle wouldn't allow it, so my father was banished from the village. I was born some time after that. We lived as traveling ninja, similar to mercenaries. It wasn't bad. And I did like being able to see all sorts of different places. I admit I miss it…"

Her voice trailed off as her violet eyes seemed to be looking elsewhere. She seemed to be longing for those days, and Itachi really couldn't blame her. That was the life she had known, and it was stripped from her by her parents' death.

The girl snapped back to reality with a start, "Wha… I… I suppose I've said more than enough. Just remember, Uchiha," Yuki said as she turned back to him," you'd better not share this information with anyone! A slip of the tongue won't go unpunished!"

"Of course, Shimura-san. You have my word."

Violet eyes met onyx ones, holding contact for what seemed like ages. The situation was indeed tense, and Itachi was beginning to feel some discomfort under her hard gaze. Thankfully, the moment was broken as a puff of smoke behind him revealed a newcomer.

"My lady! There you are!"

Yuki stepped around the confused Uchiha. "Ah, Takuji. What brings you here?"

The man kneeled to the ground with his head down. "My lady, the master is furious! You must come home for training immediately!"

The girl's only response was a sigh. "Really, he seems to have you tracking me down constantly, even back at the academy."

Something clicked in Itachi's mind. _The spar we had. Someone must have been watching her. She noticed and tried to hide the fact that it was a friendly spar by taking me seriously!_

"I suppose he's upset because I didn't come straight home. Very well, I'll be there as soon as I finish with my team."

Judging by the look he gave them, Takuji didn't seem convinced. Truthfully, he did not wish for his mistress to end up in the hospital again, but he feared the wrath of his master. "My lady-"

"I said I'd be there. Just a moment, please."

Yuki turned back to Itachi, knowing full well that Takuji still remained. "Itachi, I trust your word. But my trust is difficult to gain, so it'd be wise not to break it."

With that said, the girl disappeared with her attendant.

Itachi stood in place, with a single phrase filling his mind. _I trust you._


End file.
